Well we're talking about the revelation of Jesus Christ. Revelation chapter 16 this evening, the seven vials of God's wrath. Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound. That was the cry of the Angel flying through heaven in Revelation 8, verse 13. These are the three trumpet judgments of woe. These last three of the seven trumpet judgments will be worse than the first four, as though they could be worse. And they can. The first four judgments will devastate a third of the trees, a third of the oceans, a third of the fresh waters, a third of the light from the sun, moon, and stars. People will suffer and die. But the last three judgments involve a direct judgment upon all people. The fifth judgment is the first woe judgment. with plagues on earth of stinging locust-like demons. The sixth judgment, which is the second woe judgment, unleashes the two witnesses of God who will judge the entire earth and unleashes 200 million horsemen who will kill a third of the remaining population And then Satan and the beast are released to rule the earth without restraint. Those are the three judgments under the second woe. The first six trumpets initiate the judgments of God by sounding on the first day of the seven years of tribulation. The seventh trumpet is the last trumpet, which will sound immediately after the last day of the tribulation years. Like the six trumpet judgments occurring on one day to initiate the seven years of tribulation, the seven vials of plagues are poured out together at the end of the seven years in one day. Revelation 18 verse 8 says of the plagues, therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death and mourning and famine, and she shall be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. The seventh trumpet announces the final judgment of complete and total devastation. This seventh trumpet judgment consists of seven judgments in one day. This is the third judgment of woe and is the most devastating judgment of the seven. It will be the day of judgment when God's wrath is poured out in vengeance against all evil. This will be what is called the day of the Lord, when all kingdoms and evil are judged without exception. Revelation 16, verse 1 says, And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. In the book of Revelation, the phrase wrath of God is used five times, always referring to the seventh trumpet judgment. The phrase is not used during the previous six trumpet judgments, although God's judgments reveal His wrath. But the wrath of God for the seventh trumpet is devastating, unlike any other of the judgments. The first six trumpet judgments will be restrained judgments that remove God's blessings from earth. Judgment will be inflicted on the earth by plagues in the judgments of the first six trumpets, but there will always be some who survive and have the opportunity to repent and be saved. In contrast, the final woe judgment is God's wrath poured out directly on the repentant. It will be a devastating judgment that is absolute and total in its destruction. There will be no survivors except for those sealed and protected by God. The seventh trumpet judgment is referred to in Revelation 6, verses 12-17 as God's response to the saints' cries for vengeance. Revelation 11, verse 15 reveals the sounding of the seventh trumpet as the first announcement of the day of God's wrath. Chapters 14 and 15 declare the wrath of God with two additional announcements. These three announcements proclaim the day of the Lord's conquest, harvest, and plagues on earth. Revelation 16 describes the judgment day of God by depicting the final seven plagues. Additionally, chapter 16 reveals God's primary opponents in the spiritual warfare and their campaigns of evil, namely the campaigns of the unholy Trinity described in Revelation chapters 12 and 13. Speaking of the first of the seven angels with the plague of God's wrath in his vial. Revelation 16.2 says, and the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast and upon them which worshipped his image. The first plague of God's wrath is noisome and grievous sores. These sores will be very painful, as indicated by Revelation 16, verse 11, to the point that people will be gnawing their tongues because of the pain. With the pouring out of the first vial on the earth, all those who have the mark of the beast and who worship him will suffer from terrible sores. There's no indication that the sores are limited to the skin. In fact, to be consistent with the totality of God's wrath, it's reasonable to conclude that these sores are internal as well as external. The unrepentant who have sworn allegiance to the beast will be judged by excruciating sores all over their body, inside and out. Their flesh will literally be destroyed and consumed by infection. At this point, people are unaware of the sores inside and outside of their bodies oozing and festering with increasing pain and infection. As hideous as these sores are, these are minor problems compared to what awaits them spiritually. This physical destruction is just the beginning of the ultimate spiritual destruction of their souls. The second and third plagues of God's wrath turn the waters on earth into blood, like that of a dead man, and everything in the sea dies. Revelation 16, verses 3 through 7 say, And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, and it became as the blood of a dead man, and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the water say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and was, and shalt be, because Thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. All the ocean waters and all of the fresh waters on earth are turned to blood. Those with the seal of God are protected. and provisions will be made for them. Revelation chapter 12 verse 14 says that for three and a half years Israel will be protected from the wrath of Satan and nourished in the wilderness. From the survivors of the tribulation will come a new generation of humanity during the millennial reign of Christ. The survivors need to be nourished and protected during this judgment day of plagues being poured out on the earth. The blood replacing the waters on earth will not be fresh blood. The blood, it says, will be as the blood of a dead man, which means it will be foul in odor, dark in color, and coagulated. The presence of the blood in the seas and in the fresh waters means that there will also be the stench of death everywhere. Furthermore, people will not be able to wash themselves or their sores. They'll be dehydrating from the oozing wounds, and there will be no water to drink, to clean with, or to make comforting cool compresses. There will be no comfort as the unrepentant experience their demise. And this serves as a reminder that there is no rest for the wicked as they suffer eternal torment in the fires and the brimstone of hell, where their worm never dies. The wicked sought and spilled the blood of the righteous. They despised the saints and killed them without mercy. And God will respond by saying, you want blood? I'll give you blood. The words of Hebrews chapter 10, verse 31 are particularly poignant in this context. It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Revelation 16, verses 8-9 say, And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues. And they repented not to give him glory. The fourth angel will add to the misery of the unrepentant with the judgment of intensified burning heat from the sun. Now, people get sunburned all the time, but during the fourth vial judgment, the solar heat will be so intense, unlike any other time, it will scorch people quickly. They'll feel the infrared radiation and suffer burns and blisters from the solar ultraviolet radiation. Unlike the scorching heat from the sun, the lake burning with fire and brimstone will be much worse, if it's possible. People may shudder at the thought of the vile judgments, but what's truly fearful is the eternal condemnation yet to come. Amazingly, the people suffering from the Son understand that they are being judged by God, but instead of repenting and crying out for mercy, they defy Him and curse Him and blaspheme. They despise Him rather than exalt Him. This is the ultimate insanity and delusion. When the fifth vial is poured out on the seat of the beast, darkness will fill his kingdom. Revelation 16, verses 10 and 11 say, And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast, and his kingdom was full of darkness. And they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. This darkness will occur after the sunburst of scorching heat, according to Revelation 18.8. The darkness following the solar blast of heat suggests that the burning from the sun's rays is due to a burst of energy that scorches the earth quickly rather than prolonged scorching. The fifth plague of God's wrath will appropriately cloak the kingdom of the beast on earth in darkness. Light and darkness have been used typologically of righteousness and wickedness since the beginning of creation when God separated the light from darkness. Jesus said in John 3, verse 19, men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. The kingdom of the beast and of Satan is as dark as it gets and is filled with abomination. It's a kingdom of pure evil, unbridled wickedness and diabolical treachery. There's no light in the kingdom ruled by the father of liars and deceivers. The people live cloaked in deceptions and lies. The light of truth is shunned. So it's only appropriate then to turn off every source of light in the universe as evil is being judged. The intensity and misery experienced by the followers of the beast will culminate and increase with each vial poured out. They shunned light and now they will have no light. There will be no relief of any kind to be found in God's wrath. The fifth vial reveals that Satan's kingdom is a kingdom of darkness and despair. There is no good in him or in his kingdom. And the result is a kingdom of suffering and misery. Those who think the world is miserable now have yet to see the true extent of misery. Now is the time to repent. Delaying a decision to honor and surrender to God insults him. Delaying a decision to trust in Christ is a choice to prefer indulgence in sin rather than to repent and seek the goodness of God. Dying in a state of unrepentance will result in eternal torment and darkness without the pleasure and joy of the Lord. Plague 6 sets the stage for the final judgment at Armageddon. Revelation 16, verses 12 and 16 say, And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates. And the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world. to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called, in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. The sixth plague of God's wrath dries up the river Euphrates and releases three unclean devilish spirits who gather the kings of the earth for war at Armageddon. The devastation caused by the previous plagues has put every government on high alert. Oceans and lakes of blood, extreme heat and burning, global darkness and noisome sores will be very alarming. All nations of the world will be in a state of emergency and panic. Three days is the average limit for sustaining life without water. Those without water and rations will not survive. The armies of the nations must gather quickly. As for Satan's response, the armies of nations must be gathered together in less than a day. They will mobilize quickly seeking to exterminate the God of their plagues. Satan knows the Bible and he understands that his time is short. Therefore, he must have the armies of the world's nations ready to go at a moment's notice. For three and a half years, Satan will be aware that this day will come. Revelation 12, 12 says of Satan, he knoweth that he hath but a short time. He'll have his armies of nations ready to respond for this day. And the nations will confidently follow him to battle against the God of heaven. He supposedly defeated God once before by killing the two witnesses, a feat that none other on earth could do. And furthermore, up until this time, for the last three and a half years, since the two witnesses were killed, the God of heaven has not been seen from or heard from. Believers have been on the run, and the Jews have been in hiding. By all appearances, Satan should be able to defeat the God of heaven again, but their confidence will be misplaced. Satan has never defeated God and never will. With the solar burst, electronic equipment and planes may no longer be functional. Armies then would have to communicate and be mobilized supernaturally, and hence the mission of the frog-like spirits. The three devilish spirits come from the mouths of the unholy trinity. By their command, these three are empowered with miracles, persuasion, and authority. They'll be the messengers of the unholy trinity, and they'll be the ones to mobilize the kings of the earth to respond quickly. The need to dry up the great river Euphrates suggests that the conditions in Egypt and the Middle East under the reign of the beast are considerably different than today. Currently, the Euphrates River averages a width of about 300 to 1,000 feet, has a depth of approximately 10 to 33 feet, and extends 1,700 miles from the Caucasus Mountains of Armenia to the Persian Gulf. Given today's military capabilities, water in the Euphrates River is very insignificant for mobilizing armies accustomed to traversing oceans and mountain ranges to achieve their goals. The three unclean spirits described in Revelation chapter 16, verses 12 through 16, will perform miracles This is no ordinary battle. This is a spiritual battle that requires spiritual powers and communication. Guns and bullets are no match for God. Rather, spiritual power, such as calling fire down from heaven, is required. Three unclean spirits of devils come from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet to gather the armies from all over the world to battle against God at Armageddon. The East is prepared, but the armies of kingdoms from the entire world are coming to battle. It's at the last battle, at the very end of the judgments at Armageddon, that Jesus says, Behold, I come as a thief. This is the sudden and unexpected destruction of God that has been prophesied throughout the scriptures. This is the end of evil's reign on earth. Its presence will continue through the millennial, but it will never reign. The thief in the night coming of Christ shows how to understand 1 Thessalonians 5. It's the wicked who are caught off guard. All of the world's armies will gather in Northern Israel at Armageddon. In Northern Israel, Armageddon refers to the Hill of Megiddo, also known as Tel Megiddo or Har Megiddo. Over a span of 5,000 years, from 7,000 BC to 586 BC, 26 cities were built in the Valley of Megiddo, one on top of another, which contributed to the city's elevation as a prominent hill in the valley. It rises to about 70 feet, and the hill overlooks the Valley of Megiddo, which is also known as the Jezreel Valley, providing a vantage point where armies could face off against one another. Megiddo controlled a narrow strategic stretch of road called the Via Maris, or the Way of the Sea, a major international highway in the ancient world. This road stretched from Egypt in the south to Babylon in Mesopotamia, linking the major empires and trade routes of the day. Megiddo's position on this highway made it a prime mercantile city and military outpost. Whoever controlled Megiddo controlled access to trade of the world in that day, along that route. Megiddo was a choke point. There's no way around it. Control of Megiddo was crucial to controlling any regional empire. The Valley of Megiddo lies between mountain ranges from the Mediterranean to the Jordan, with Megiddo in the middle. It lies about 18 miles southeast of Haifa in northern Israel. To pass from one end of the Fertile Crescent to the other required traveling through passes in the Carmel mountain range. Megiddo Pass was the shortest path. This made it the most significant spot along the Via Maris. Armageddon became a site of numerous battles due to its very strategic location at the junction of important trade routes. Megiddo served as the control point of the land bridge in the Fertile Crescent. It sits at the shortest and most desirable spot of passage from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Control over this location in the trade route meant control over the wealth that was being transferred back and forth. Pharaoh Thutmose III said, winning Megiddo was like winning a thousand cities. He led one of the earliest recorded battles in the world history at Megiddo. Controlling the Fertile Crescent required controlling Megiddo. There's no way around it. The crescent narrows at this point to about 75 miles wide, so it's called a land bridge. Sources claim that Armageddon has been one of the places of more battles than any other location in the world. Battles fought at Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley gave control and access to both ends of the Fertile Crescent. Being centered here rather than at the ends of the Crescent gave a strategic advantage to control all of the Crescent. Israel was ideally located for trade and influence in the world, but it was also situated in the hotspot for all invasions throughout the Fertile Crescent. He who controls Megiddo controls the world. The final battle for the world returns to the battlefield of early civilization and the promised land given to Abraham is seed and all of his descendants. This final battle is a global war war war centrally focused on the promised land. Nonetheless, although the war is fought Globally, it centers on conquering the land of God and the promised land. It involves usurping God's throne and seizing his power and control. This focus on global destruction is directed at this land of divine inheritance and promise. God granted this land to Abraham and his descendants for the benefit of all families on earth. In contrast, Satan seeks to take that inheritance, steal that promise, and capture the world for himself. Armageddon will serve as the battlefield between good and evil. Fortunately for the saved, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 52 says, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. Unlike the saved who are delivered from God's wrath, the lost, indeed all of the lost, will face utter destruction. Revelation chapter 16 verses 17 through 21 say, And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices and thunders and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake, such as had not been since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent, And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great." All the kings of the earth are in Armageddon at this time, thinking they're ready to battle with the God of Israel. Their delusion is unparalleled. Revelation chapter 19 describes the end of the battle. They blame him for being cruel, merciless, and unloving. They still believe, even at this time, that Satan and the Beast are more powerful than the God of Israel. But their confidence in Satan is sadly misplaced. The great Babylon the great Babylon mentioned in Revelation 16, verse 19, refers to all that represents Antichrist and is a contradiction to the God of heaven. The description of God pouring out the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath on Babylon refers to the unrestrained punishment God will release on evil, complete and total. destruction. With the seventh plague of God's wrath, a great earthquake will divide Babylon into three parts, ruin all the cities in the nations, reduce the islands, and sink mountains. That is a devastating earthquake. With earthquakes strong enough to adjust the elevation of mountains and valleys, devastating tsunamis will be released to sweep over the earth. Hailstones weighing about 100 pounds each will pound the earth. The voices from heaven, the thunders, and the rumbling of the earthquakes will create a cacophony of judgment being executed. And astoundingly, the lost will still blaspheme God. They will never repent, and they will always suffer in the fires of hell forever. God's wrath is not just thorough, fierce, and unrestrained. His judgment is true and righteous. In Revelation 16, verse 7, John records hearing another angel from the altar say, Even so, O Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. God desires that none should perish. In Ezekiel 33, verse 11, God says, Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? Time and time again, without hesitation and without tiring, God has pleaded with and warned mankind from the time of Adam and Eve to repent and trust him. God prolongs his judgment with divine patience, giving men every opportunity to be saved. His messengers have proclaimed his truths repeatedly, saying the same thing in many different ways to persuade men to come to God, but they would not. God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked. But the judgment of sin and the condemnation of sinners is a necessity. It's the only way to make things right. Therefore, his judgment is righteous. If there were any other way more benign to restore creation to order and perfection, God would do it because he desires that none should perish. But many refuse his gracious gift and offer of mercy. In fact, they not only turn it down, they despise God. They hate him for warning them. They hate him for rebuking their evil. They hate him for finding fault with their whims and lusts. It's an insane and irrational response, but that is the way of the wicked. They love darkness rather than light. They love sin more than righteousness. They prefer the elimination of God rather than the enduring presence of God. They leave God no choice but to banish them from his kingdom and to prevent them from polluting the new heavens and the new earth. If they want a world without Him, He will give them that world. And they will share their eternity of devilish desires and dastardly deeds together in condemnation. Eternity awaits them in hell, condemned in the lake of fire, ruled by the lake ruled by the likes of Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and demoniacs. The experience is unimaginable and beyond description. But for those who choose Christ, There await joys unspeakable, peace, love, and blessings. These things are impossible in the presence of sin. And so those who understand the effect of sin on peace understand why sin must be banished, why sinners must not be allowed to spoil the joy of others. why God's judgment is true and righteous, and why the angels of heaven and the martyrs of earth glorify Him for His judgment of the wicked. God has given us prophets, His Son, and His written Word to warn us of His judgment against sin. Now it's up to us to choose what to do with His warning. Will we wait to take our chances of dying in our sins? Will we dismiss God's warnings? Or will we repent and surrender our lives to Jesus as our Savior and God? The choice is ours.